NerdWallet compared quotes from these insurers in ZIP codes across the country. Rates are for policies that include liability, collision, comprehensive, and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages, as well as any other coverage required in each state. Our “good driver” profile is a 40-year-old with no moving violations and credit in the “good” tier.

Gender and age: Young (newly licensed drivers) will be the most expensive to insure and statistics show that young males are the worst of the young drivers. Once they have a few years of experience under their belts, rates should start to drop. Statistics show that women overall tend to be involved in fewer accidents so premiums are usually lower for female drivers until they hit middle age, then males and females are basically on par for the cost of car insurance
Looking at a 20-year term life insurance policy (the most popular option) worth $500,000, we've determined what the average annual rates are for individuals between the ages of 25 and 65. One of the clear takeaways from the table: it's expensive to smoke. Smokers on average will pay an average of 260% higher premiums for their life insurance policies than non-smokers. This disparity is greatest for those between the ages of 40 and 55, with 40-year-old smokers paying over three times as much for their life insurance as non-smokers, while 25-year-old smokers pay only twice as much.
But liability coverage levels come in threes — you’ll probably see something like 50/100/50 up to 250/500/250 in typical policies. You can think of these limits like: individual injuries / total injuries / property damage. Insurers are a little more technical, calling them bodily injury liability, total bodily injury liability and physical damage liability.
Everything’s bigger in Texas and car insurance coverage is no exception. In fact, the Lone Star State has some of the highest minimum requirements in the nation and, even then, these may not be enough when an accident strikes. As it currently stands with Texas, in the event of an accident, there’s a 1 in 7 chance that the other driver won’t be insured. Unless you’ve purchased uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage, that’s money out of your pocket. Texas’s minimum requirements also don’t account for comprehensive coverage which you’ll definitely want to take into consideration since the state ranks first for monetary losses from “catastrophes” like hail storms and hurricanes.
The reason car insurance is so cheap in Wisconsin is a bit of a mystery. While not a huge magnet for severe weather it does receive its fair share of snow in the winter and tornadoes in the summer. Flooding is not uncommon and rising rivers point to spring flooding this year. Flood damage is covered by comprehensive coverage, which is not required in most states, if you want your vehicle to be fully covered, you will need to carry this optional coverage.
The day all parents dread is finally upon you; your teenage child is old enough to drive. But before they pop in a mix-tape (those are still a thing, right?) and step on the gas, they need to learn the rules of the road. ConsumerAffairs asked dozens of driving schools across the country for advice to make the process more enjoyable and educational for you and your student driver.
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It’s important to note that every company considers credit very differently, and even among insurers this factor fluctuates by state. For example, NerdWallet’s 2019 car insurance rate analysis indicates that while State Farm charges higher rates for poor credit in many states, it doesn’t seem to do so in Maine. Similar variations are true for many other companies as well.
USAA maintains a strong financial standing and earned a 95/100 from Consumer Reports with Excellent marks all around. This means you won’t have to worry about settling up financially with the company and you’ll likely have a decent time maneuvering through their claims process. If you or anyone in your immediate family is an active or retired service member, you should definitely give USAA a call and get a quote.

If you’re getting turned down by traditional insurers due to a spotty driving record, the Texas Automobile Insurance Plan Association (TAIPA) is probably your best option. It only offers the bare minimum required by law, it’s more expensive than traditional insurers, and you’ll have to show proof that you’ve been turned down by at least two companies. It’s a last resort, but TAIPA will get you back on the road.

Please note that this website provides only a summary of auto insurance, written to illustrate in general terms how auto insurance works. Your insurance policy is the legal contract that contains the terms and limitations of your coverage. You should carefully review the contents of your policy. All products and coverages are subject to availability and limitations. Whether an accident or other loss is covered is subject to the terms and conditions of your insurance policy.
To any good parent, our babies are our babies, be it a child, or an automobile. I must say that the statement "The driver carting around children tends to be more cautious than the person driving a muscle car" in most cases simply isn't true. Hot rod, muscle car and restored car owners are usually the type of driver that will go out of their way to park away from the other cars. Consider the fact that many of these cars have been built or restored by the driver. Typically the case is this person has an tremendous amount of time and money invested in the vehicle (Have you ever spent $15,000 on a paint job?). A restored muscle car or hot rod is a lot like driving a museum piece, many are rare, some are irreplaceable, so these drivers are many times more likely to be much more cautious so as not to harm their "baby."

If you’ve ever compared car insurance rates, you know how many options are available. Depending on a variety of individual rating factors, certain companies will price your insurance differently. You could end up paying more by choosing the wrong company or failing to compare enough companies. We've outlined the factors that go into your car insurance premiums, as well as some tips for how to find the best possible rates. Let’s get started.

While competition certainly helps keep premiums in check, it’s not the only factor. “In addition, under Virginia’s laws for seeking recovery, the person at fault for causing a car accident is held responsible for any resulting harm,” says Schrad. “Virginia also requires uninsured motorist coverage as part of a driver’s own auto insurance plan in case they are involved in an accident with an uninsured driver,” he continues. Not all states require drivers to carry uninsured motorist coverage.

One of the best ways to get cheap car insurance is by comparing car insurance quotes — and the companies offering them. To get you started, NerdWallet looked at car insurance prices across the country for different driver profiles and coverage levels to find the cheapest rates. We’ve sliced the data in several ways to give you an idea of average costs and what factors might nudge your car insurance rate up — or even better, down.

NerdWallet averaged rates for 40-year-old men and women for 20 ZIP codes in each state and Washington, D.C., from the largest insurers, up to 12 in each state. “Good drivers” had no moving violations on record and credit in the “good” tier as reported to each insurer. For the other two driver profiles, we changed the credit tier to “poor” or added one at-fault accident, keeping everything else the same. Sample drivers had the following coverage limits:
Like a DUI, a reckless driving citation can raise your car insurance rates. If you’ve received a reckless driving citation, your best bets for cheap car insurance are USAA and State Farm, despite the latter being one of the more expensive insurance companies if you don’t have a violation. This shows the importance of comparing car insurance rates carefully — your driving profile will be handled differently by every carrier.
Texas is one of four states that have seen the highest increase in auto insurance premiums over the last seven years, according to Consumer Reports. While part of that jump is due to increased repair costs for the added technology in new cars, extreme weather also plays a role, with Hurricane Harvey a recent glaring example. Over half a million vehicles flooded in Texas during that storm, significantly raising insurers’ annual losses for 2017, and in turn, causing around an 8% jump in premiums this year. Add the fact that Texas is number one in the nation for hail damage losses, and its position at the top of the rate hike leaderboard is no surprise.
Collision coverage is probably the most important coverage you need to have in order to protect your vehicle against physical damage. It is not difficult to accidentally hit something when driving. Somebody is always at fault, and that someone could be you. Some of the most significant damage to your vehicle can come from a collision with another vehicle, tree, pole or guardrail. In order to purchase collision coverage, you’ll need to purchase basic coverage as well. The higher your deductible (the amount you pay if you do get into a collision), the lower your monthly payments will often be — and this can be the best way to get the coverage you need and the savings you deserve at the same time.
NerdWallet compared quotes from these insurers in ZIP codes across the country. Rates are for policies that include liability, collision, comprehensive, and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages, as well as any other coverage required in each state. Our “good driver” profile is a 40-year-old with no moving violations and credit in the “good” tier.

The cheapest car insurance, period, will likely carry the minimum coverage required in your state. In most states, this is liability insurance only, which covers property damage and medical bills for others due to accidents you cause. Some states also require uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, which pay for your injuries or damage if an at-fault driver doesn’t have enough insurance.

Collision insurance is a coverage that helps pay to repair or replace your car if it's damaged in an accident with another vehicle or object, such as a fence or a tree. If you're leasing or financing your car, collision coverage is typically required by the lender. If your car is paid off, collision is an optional coverage on your car insurance policy.